The present invention relates to a gas discharge panel used for a display device or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a PDP.
Recently, as the demand for high-quality large-screen TVs such as high definition TVs have increased, displays suitable for such TVs, such as Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and Plasma Display Panel (PDP), have been studied and developed. These displays have the following characteristics.
CRTs have been widely used as TV displays and excel in resolution and picture quality. However, the depth and weight increase as the screen size increases. Solution of this problem is a key to the production of large-screen CRTs. Therefore, it is considered that producing CRTs having a large screen size exceeding 40 inch is difficult.
LCDs have found wide spread use as monitors for computers due to excellent characteristics such as smaller power consumption, size, and weight than CRTs. However, large-screen LCDs have such technical problems to be solved as faint images and disordered gray-scale levels or color gradations which are caused because LCDs themselves do not emit light when displaying images. In addition, it is thought that a defect of narrow viewing angles, which is unique to LCDs, must be cleared in order to achieve large-screen LCDs.
On the other hand, unlike CRTs or LCDs, PDPs have an advantage that large-screen PDPs can be achieved with relatively small weights. Also, PDPs have a merit that they consume smaller electricity in spite of the driving method in which PDPs themselves emit light for displaying images. Therefore, at the present time when next-generation displays are sought for, large-screen gas discharge panels such as PDPs are especially studied and developed eagerly. Gas discharge panels with a 50-inch or more screen have already been developed.
PDPs are divided into two types: Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC). Of these types of PDPS, AC-type PDPs are now becoming typical since they are thought to be suitable for large screens.
Meanwhile, it is desired these days that in electric products to be developed for various purposes, the power consumption is restricted as much as possible. In the circumstance, the power consumption at actuation is expected to below even in gas discharge panels such as PDPs. The problem is especially important for gas discharge panels such as PDPs since there is a tendency that the power consumption of these products is increasing along with the trend toward large screen and high minuteness. To live up to the expectation for the small power consumption, the discharge efficiency that greatly affects the PDP performance needs to be improved.
As apparent from the above description, at present, the technique for restricting power consumption by improving the discharge efficiency has room for refinement in discharge panels such as PDPs.
Is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gas discharge panel, such as a PDP, securing excellent discharge efficiency and having a high display performance, while properly restricting the power consumption.
The above object is achieved by a gas discharge panel in which a plurality of cells filled with a discharge gas are arranged as a matrix between a pair of opposed plates, and in which a pair of display electrodes on a surface of one of the pair of opposed plates extend across a plurality of cells in the direction of rows, where a gap between the pair of display electrodes has a first discharge gap width and a second discharge gap width larger than the first discharge gap width.
More specifically, in the above gas discharge panel, the first discharge gap width is determined from approximately the minimum discharge start voltage in a Paschen""s curve which shows a relationship between product pxc2x7d and discharge start voltage, and the second discharge gap width is determined from the maximum discharge efficiency in a discharge efficiency curve which shows a relationship between the product pxc2x7d and discharge efficiency, where p represents discharge gas pressure and d represents discharge gap width.
With the above-stated construction, when the electricity is supplied to the display electrodes, discharge is actuated in a space having the first discharge gap width at a voltage lower than conventional techniques. This improves the light emission efficiency of the PDP. This initial discharge is followed by efficient sustain discharge established in a space having the second discharge gap width. This provides excellent display.
The above gas discharge panel may take the following specific forms: one of the pair of display electrodes is branched into a first electrode prong and a second electrode prong, the other of the pair of display electrodes is positionally between the first electrode prong and the second electrode prong, a gap width between the first electrode prong and the other display electrode is the first discharge gap width, and a gap width between the second electrode prong and the other display electrode is the second discharge gap width; or each of the pair of display electrodes is branched into a plurality of electrode prongs, a predetermined electrode prong of one of the pair of display electrodes is positionally between a first electrode prong and a second electrode prong of the other of the pair of display electrodes, a gap width between the first electrode prong and the predetermined electrode prong is the first discharge gap width, and a gap width between the second electrode prong and the predetermined electrode prong is the second discharge gap width. With such a construction, in addition to the above effects, it is possible to establish an excellent address discharge while preventing occurrence of the cross talk.
The above gas discharge panel may take the following form: a gap between the pair of display electrodes has a plurality of gap widths in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the gas discharge panel, the plurality of gap widths including the first discharge gap width and the second discharge gap width.
The above construction facilitates the formation of the first discharge gap width and the second discharge gap width in a limited space. This is advantageous in producing highly minute cells.
The above gas discharge panel may take the following form: at least one of facing sides of the pair of display electrodes has one or more projections per cell, the first discharge gap width being formed between the one or more projections and the other of the pair of display electrodes, and the second discharge gap width being formed between the other of the pair of display electrodes and the at least one of facing sides of the pair of display electrodes at portions other than the one or more projections.
With the above-stated construction, it is possible to achieve the present invention only by adding slight improvement to display electrodes manufactured with a conventional technique. This provides an excellent effect in terms of the production cost.